Drop fender for vehicles



F. A. PIEREE AND B. w. mwmson.

DROP FENDER-FOR'VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, I922.

2 2. n 7 m Wm N as m2 m P F. A. PIERCE AND B. W. DAVIDSON.

0 0? FENDER FOR vzmcuzs. APPLICATION FILED JUDEH. 1922- Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEE1 2.

Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

FRANKLIN 'AQ rIERoE NDBENJ MIN w.- DAvIDsoN, or srEUBENvILLn'oHI Application filed J'une'17,

To wZZiohdhtz't-mdycoa'cem: I I

:BQlt known that we, FRANKL IN A. PIERCE and BENJAMIN W -DAvIDsoN', cltizens of the -United; States ofAmerica, and residents of This invention relatesto drop fenders for 'motor vehicles, and it has for its-principal 1 object to provide a simple, eflicient and ime proved-construction of fender,'designed'primarily for use on automobiles and motor trucks,which is adapted through forcible engagement awith 'a' person in the roadway to'be instantly. tripped, or'actuated to drop, to a lowered positionand upon'which such person may fall. and be carried with minimum danger of seriousinjury.

, With this and other important objects iniview, the invention'resides in the features of construction, arrangement of parts and combinations of'elements which will hereinafter-be fully described, reference being hereinhad to theaccompanying drawings,

in which-" I Figure=1 is atop plan'view'of the inven-' tion applied to an automobile; i I

front elevatlon of the same,

- Figure 2 1s and- ' Figure ;is .a-section on line.3-3, Fig. 2.

Referring f'toj'said drawings, 1 indicates each of two upright hollow cylindrical 7 casings which are carried by supporting brackets 2 mounted upon the front ends of the opposite sides 3 of the frame of the automobile. Extending upward into said casings through centralopenings l provided in the lower ends of said casings are upright arms 7 or members 5 which have their lower ends disposed in rigid supporting relation to a.

fender which comprises a horizontally disposed carrying portion, designated generally by the numeral 6, and a plurality of upright guard portions 7, 8 and 9. Said carrying portion 6 consists, of a suitable lattice work or wire netting 6 carried by a substantially rectangular frame 6, and each of said guard portions consists of a lattice work or netting carried by a frame of substantially U-sha e, inverted,.having its ends mounted upon t e that PATENT o c.v

A'ssIGNoRs or oNn-rIr'n-I 1 0' JOHN G, MINKEMYER, ONE-FIFTH TO JAMnsB. INKEMYEB, A D ONEFIFTHTO E.

" IY B IN M. BoN LL,"aLL or WHEELI G, WEST donor FENDER roR -VEHICLES.

1922; 'SeriaI No. 569,011.

rear transverse member of theframe of the carrying portion '6. The guard :portion 8 occupies practically the'entire width of the space between the casings 1, while the'portions 7 and 9 are disposed laterally with respect to-said casings, as shown.

The upright arms 5 and the various frames of the carrying and guard portions are preferably made of-metal tubing, and thefr'ames of said guard portions, as also the lower ends of the supporting arms 5, are preferably welded to thevrear member of the frame of the carrying portion 6, thus providing a perfectly rigid non-rattling fender structure. I I

Each of the supporting arms 5 has a notch 10 formed in the front face thereof adjacent to its lower end, said'notch being adapted for the reception of a rearwardly directed tongue or lug'll formed on the lower closed end of the casing 1, whereby the fender structure described is normally supported in an elevated position. A spiral compression spring 12 encircles each arm 5, being interpo's'ednbetween a fixed collar 13 carried vby the "arm and an adjustable hollow plug which is threaded .within the upper endof the-casing. Whenthe fender is shifted rea ward to a point. atwhich the lugs 11 are disengagedfiomthe notches 10 of the supporting arms 5, thus releasing said arms, the

previously compressed springs 12. instantly expand and thrust said armsdownward to positions in which the collars .13 thereof seat upon .the lower-ends of said casings,

thus lowering the'fender to a position in which the-carrying portion 6 occupies a level closely adjacent to the roadway, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

"The release of the arms 5 may be effected automatically through forcible contact of the fender with an object or person in the roadway, or it may be manually efiected from the drivers seat by a pull applied through a cable, as 15, attached to the fender and passed about one or more suitably located pulleys, as 16.

The casing opening 4 through which each supporting arm 5 extends is obviously of suflicient size to allow movement of the arm therethrough past the supporting lug 11. Suitable means is-provided for preventing the vehicle; upright arm'sextendihgiinto said casings, a 'ferrder frame earned in -fiXed re1a- Y the tension;ofsaidspring 17 15 i upperehdof ea'hrasihg l how chance disengagement of the arm 5 from said lug, the means hereln shown comprising 7 a coil spring disposed in lyie ldabie pres sure exerting "relation to "'a'lstem 118 "which v carries alroller 19 seated'against the rear facerof the arm 5 adjacent to the ;lowe ".end,

is obvious, thei elevateduifender is l-shitte'd rearward to an unsupported position ag'alr st A Cap 221 preferably carried:

by the What is 'tlaiahejd. is

Afd'rep renderrermowsikehieies, prising a -pair ofu-pright'statioharyea g gs located at'oppo'site sides of thejfron't eri d of tion to and supported by; said ar ifr-i's-fsai f'd arms having recesses there'i-nfand ISaH'dQCaS in'gs having rearwardlydirected lugs iri'ter engageableavith 'said reeesse's for supporting sald arms 1n elevated position; said- {lugs being adapted to be disengaged throrrgh rear ward shiftihgof saidy fjame for releasi ig' said arms, and a r -essed rolleg ingzsii h s'hi-ftirigi --1 f:

- 2; A; drop ifend'er for motor vehicles; bomprising; a {pair pimp-right stationary casings located atb-pposi't'e sides of the frontend of v the vehicle, arms eater-1ding""into said hasings through the lower ends 'Ioaf't'he" latter; a

. fender frame supported by -saidfarms,r ;a

collar carried by each arm, a compression spr ng ienelrelmg -each armJand-seated on the collar thereof, a plug adjustable iii the upper end of each easing whereby. the tension-0t" said spring may the regulated,- inter-engage? able meahsborne saidcasings and-said 1 arms whereby-thetlatter :are' supportedin to drop and meansnormal'ly resisti'hgsuoh shitting movement, saidcollar :beirig adapt- "Iu formed an sash" casin in}; irearwardishifting, a the extent of lowering mevemem tsaid fender frame;

by e 'rearward shifting movement =-':of vsaid fender -frame;o1 allowing- "said members to drop, aspriiig pressed roller tbaririg against the rear face-rof ea'oh of said meHrbrs-Yahd 'yield-inglyf resisting:- such, @shi-gtti hgf rfior'e- V ed When said arms are droppedto seat forsupporting the latter in lowered position.

drop fender for motor-vehicles}; com-, prising a. fender frame bairiii gupright sup.- porting members, said frame and said mem v ba s b ing @Qmp e i iid y rela t V gxsa'id 1 eihbers vertically gmovablefifiith r having notehes therein for reoelvi'r'ig said lugs whereby said members are supported in elevated; position;1:said lugs being adapted I. to be disengaged from said notches by rear-, a 7

Ward shifting movement of lsa i'd fancier irame, spr in s "whereby the rel ef th -ust";dewr1ward, a sp"ng res "1 roller disposed: rearward d-f eae' supportin -members air 4L. Adrop -fen 6 2 for motorvehicles, 1 prisinga-fender frame havingv upright *"stip porting members, v casings having apentured lowered ends and *h-avirig-Rsaid members vertica llywmovabl-e through: the. aperture of saidends; interehgaging means wherebyisaid members are supp ontediin elevated p ositiong' I said means beirlg' adazpte'dmtol' betdiser rga'ged ment,ieompression'fineansiioeated hinsaid. casing whereby sa-ld mernbers are Instantly a thrust downward following disengagement o'fi-"sa'id supporting,- imeans and ieol-l-ars rear; ried-qby" said members andfadaaptedf to Seat uponsaid IoWerends-of the oasingsffor i'im' it-i-ng the 'eXtent'o-f downward :movemeiit of j said supportingqmembers V in testimony {Wher'eo fiv we afliX our; i

tures in presenceof two. Witnesses. .elevated positionagaihst the'ten-sion of said springs-,sai'drmeans being adaptedfor disene gagement through rearwardshiftingmove? mentr'of said 'franieafor-ral-lowi-flg said arms wastage-1! j- (a a a sov 

